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Soul music band to perform at Pastorius Park

Soul music band Aaron and the Spell will appear at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 10, as part of he 65th Annual Pastorius Park Concert Series.

Aaron and the Spell incorporates blues, folk, rock, and R&B music to form a unique sound. The band is led by singer/songwriter Aaron Brown, who formed the band in 2012.

Brown began to write songs a few years ago when he was going through a rough time in his life: his band broke up and a long-term relationship of his ended. He said he used that difficult time as inspiration to write songs. He then moved from Harrisburg to Philadelphia, fell in love with the city’s music scene and created a new band.

In August of 2012, Brown’s band released its debut album, “Sing,” and quickly began to play shows all over the Philadelphia area at venues such as World Café Live, Tin Angel, Fergie’s Pub on Sansom Street and the Grape Room in Manayunk. The band played at Rockwood Music Hall in New York City.

In addition to Brown, who plays guitar and sings, the band is composed of drummer Mike Pietrusko, bassist Brian Schuman, backup singers Imani Roach and Allison Polans, and guitarist Adam Zielinski.

While it has not been around very long, the band has gotten a great deal of attention. One of the band’s songs, “A Beating Heart,” was recently nominated for an Independent Music Award in the adult contemporary category. The band was also named “Artist to Watch in 2013” by Ticket Magazine, and it was listed by NPR Music as “10 Artists You Should Have Known in 2012.”

Dennis Bakay of Philly2Philly.com said Aaron and the Spell was “best described as a band that soaks in all of the influences of the Philly indie music scene.”

“This is a band with a sound that’s a rich blend of blues, R & B, and soul,” he added.

The rain location for each concert will be at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy’s Lower School Auditorium, Cherokee Campus, 8000 Cherokee St. Rain statuses will be posted on chestnuthill.org by 6 p.m. on the day of the show.

The concert series is organized and produced by the Chestnut Hill Community Association and made possible by donations from the Chestnut Hill Community Fund and Chestnut Hill Hospital. Further sponsorship is provided by WXPN and the Philadelphia Parks and Recreation Department. Be sure to check back with the Local for previews of each band act the week before each concert.

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